Indicating device for telephone-receivers.



No. 655,992. v Patented Aug. I4, |900. l

W. R. RATHVN.

( N 0 M 0 d e I.)

. INDICATlNG DEVICE FR TELEPHONE RECEIVEBS.

implication med Nov. 2s 1899. I

IH: m im I i l m l il if. |||.4

we Norms versus ooooooooooooooooooooooooooo c UNITED S'TnTnsf PATENT Frings.

WILLlAMIt. RATHVON, OF FLORENCE, COLORADO.

lINDIGATING DEVICE FORYTELEPHONE=RECEIVERS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 655,992, dated August 14, 1900.

Application filed November 28, 1899. Serial No. 738,524. (No model.) i

T0 a/ZZ whom, t may concern: Y

Beit known that I, WILLIAM R. RATHvoN, of Florence, county of Fremont, State of Col-A orado, have invented an Improvement in Indicating Devices for Telephone-Receivers, of

which the following description,in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like letters ou the drawing repreis sounded bythe party at the distant trans` mitter or by the operator at the central station for the purpose of notifying the party at the receiving end when conversation is desired. If, however, as is frequently the case,

the bell or audible alarm is sounded in the absence of the party at the receiving-station, there is nothing to indicate to such party upon his return that any effort whatever has been made to call him in his absence.

The prime object of this present invention is to provide avisual indicating device preferably of a construction that will enable it to be readily and easily applied to any of the telephone-receivers now in use without the necessity of extraneous or additional fastenin gs or fixtures and which the party at the receiving-station may set or iix when he is obliged to leave his office and which will show to him upon his return whether or not any effort has been made to reach him by telephone in his absence.

In the following specification, in connection with the accompanying drawing, I will illustrate my invention in the most convenient form now known to me, it being understood, however, that my invention is not thereby restricted to the particular form or construction there shown and described.

The drawing in perspective shows a part of a telephone-receiver of the ordin ary kind now in use, with an indicator containing my invention in position thereupon, said figure also showing in dotted lines the position of said indicator when dropped to indicate a telephone call.

Referring to the drawing, in the embodiment of my invention there shown A is a receiving phone or boX, such as now in common ilse, it being provided with the usual forked switch-levend, upon which the telephone-receiver is hung when not in use, and also with the usual polar bells b b, between which is arranged the striker b', that is vibrated between 'and in contact with the two bells by the usev of polechanging or signaling mechanism commonly used in connection with telephone-lines. These bells constitute a type of audible alarm for calling the receiving party to the instrument when conversation is desired.

1 C is the indicator or indicating device,made in accordance with my invention, it being shown' as a metal disk or plate c, provided, preferably, with an varm c', bent over at its end to form a hook c2, by which the indicator may be suspended upon the tapper b] of the audiblealarm instrument, as shown in full lines in the drawing.

The device lnay and preferably will be oonnected with some suitable support, and such support may be any part of the apparatus in connection with which the device is to be used which will serve the purpose of this invention, as, for instance, the thumb-screw b2 of one of the bells by a suitable flexible connection, as the strin g c3, secured at one end to the indicator and having its other and free end engaged by the thumb-screw b2, thereby "to sustain the indicator when it is dropped by operation of the tapper. y

When` the party at the receiving-station leaves his office temporarily, he hangs his indicator O upon the bell-tapper, as shown in the drawing, and upon his return if it still remains where hung he knows that no attempt has been made to reach him by telephone during his absence. If, however, a telephone call is received during his absence, the vibration of the tappe'r b in sounding the audible alarm will cause the indicator O to drop into its dotted position, (shown in the drawing,) where it will remain suspended by the string c3, indicating at a glance to the party upon his return that an attempt has been made to reach him. The party may then call up the central station or the party at the opposite end of the lineand ascertain who attempted to call him and the nature of the message sought to be transmitted. In

IOO

this way an important safeguard is provided against oversight in transmitting important messages, for instead of relying, as is now the case, solely upon the memory of the calling party to call again, or, it may be, several more times, in an effort to transmit the desired message, which such party frequently forgets to do or is unable to do, the receiving party upon returning to the oiiice sees at a glance that a message is to be transmitted and calls up the central office or the other party and ascertains for himself what the message is that he should receive.

In practice I prefer to face the disk c with paper or other suitable independent displayfacing d, which may be held in position by the inturned clips d upon the metallic disk c, and upon this face may be displayed any suitable matter-for instance, words indicating that a call has been received or giving instructions to call up the central oiiice, or, perhaps, containing for convenience sake the number of the instrument itself, or it may1 be provided with advertising matter upon the face or, perhaps, upon both faces, thereby serving the double purpose of indicating and advertising.

I have found the above a convenient embodiment of my invention well adapted for its intended purpose; but obviously the device may be varied within the spirit and scope of my invention and within the terms of the following claims.

Ilaving described one embodiment of my invention and without limiting myself as to detail, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A visual telephone indicating device, consisting of an indicator constructed as a disk or plate provided with a hook for supporting said indicator upon a movable part of the receiving instrument, and a flexible connection secured to said indicator at one end and its other and free end adapted to be connected to any suitable part of the receiving instrument, substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. A visual telephone indicating device, consisting of an indicator constructed as a disk or plate provided with an arm terminating in a hook whereby said indicator may be supported upon a movable part of the receiving instrument, combined with a iiexible connection secured to said indicator at one end and its other and free end adapted to be readily connected to any suitable part of the receiving instrument, substantially as and for the purpose described.

3. A visual ytelephone indicating device, consisting of an indicator constructed as a disk or plate provided with an arm terminating in a hook, whereby said indicator may be supported upon a movable part of the receiving instrument, clips on said disk adapted to support an independent display-face, and a flexible connection secured to said indicator at one end and its other and free end adapted to be readily connected to any suitable part of the receiving instrument, substantially as and for the purpose described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

VILLIAM R. RATI'IVON.

lVitnesses:

N. P. HILL, 2d, II. A. CooK. 

